It is well known in the art to store oxidizable gases for use as fuel in pressurized bulk containers or tanks. Such gases include hydrogen. Hydrogen can also be stored in bulk-lots of glass microbubbles (microspheres) as a fuel delivery system for automotive combustion engines wherein the hydrogen is released by diffusion when the glass microbubbles are heated, allowing the microbubbles to be refilled. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,328,768, 4,211,537, and 4,302,217. Glass microbubbles can be filled with and retain hydrogen at pressures exceeding 41.4 MPa (6000 psig) for long periods of time. P. C. Souers, R. T. Tsugawa and R. R. Stone, "Fabrication of the Glass Microballoon Laser Target," Report No. UCRL-51-609, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Jul. 12, 1974; and Michael Monsler and Charles Hendricks, "Glass Microshell Parameters for Safe Economical Storage and Transport of Gaseous Hydrogen," presented Apr. 1, 1996, at the Fuel Cells for Transportation TOPTEC meeting, Alexandria, Va.
Published PCT application WO 9821772 discloses storing such microbubbles in a container. The microbubbles are broken to release the hydrogen which is expelled from the container through an exit port. The container includes a flat rotating blade to push the microbubbles against a screen which acts as a fracturing means. The screen has a mesh size smaller than at least 95% of the size of microbubbles. The blade is canted with respect to the screen to entrap microbubbles and force the microbubbles against the screen to cause fracturing. The debris from the microbubbles falls into and is collected in a removable bottom portion of the container. The gas which is produced upon rupturing of the microbubbles exits through an exit port and is filtered through a filter housing.